Gamer Manager
Community Rating
Description
Writathon 2024 Winner!
Could a seemingly average Defense of the Avatars fan oversee an esports team better than a top manager? Kelly thinks that might be just the case...
Kelly Thomas is not living her best life. Her new job's just okay, her side hustle just crashed and burned, and lately, even her beloved game of DOTA has devolved from a fun afternoon delight into a cold, calculating calculus problem complete with stats, tech terms, and mindless lingo.
But then Kelly helps a guy at the student center. The man seems friendly enough . . . until she innocently asks her savior, "How would you like to be the best there is at what you do best?"
Naturally, Kelly says yes, and that one decision changed everything. Now whenever she watches a DOTA match, she sees skills and attributes of every player in a heads-up display. At first, she quickly learns to take full advantage of his abilities—even leaning on them to gain her own level-ups and experience, but now she is in it for the long haul.
She'll find that otherworldly talent is about to have a massive effect on her real-world existence, moving her on up from small local matches to the insane circuits of top-tier matches. But the more she succeeds, the more he's torn between the simple, happy player she once was and the master of the lanes she is becoming...
Information
- Status
- Completed
- Year
- 2024
- Author
- Weavervale
Royal Road Stats
- Rating
- 3.8/ 5.0
- Followers
- 92
- Views
- 19,436
Chapters(35 total)
- 15. UCNJNov 19, 2024
- 14. SmurfNov 18, 2024
- 13. Mini games?Nov 17, 2024
- 12. Assassination, CharacterNov 15, 2024
- 11. PassaicNov 14, 2024
- 10. Business PlansNov 12, 2024
- 9. PregameNov 11, 2024
- 8. SUNYNov 9, 2024
- Seven.Nov 8, 2024
- 6. SituationshipNov 6, 2024
- 5. RocklandNov 5, 2024
- 4. Happy DanceNov 3, 2024
- 3. APNov 2, 2024
- 2. Patch NotesNov 1, 2024
- 1. Add/Drop WeekNov 1, 2024
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
Community Reviews(8)
- wigochickRoyal Road★★★★★ 5.0Reading Gamer Manager, you realize that you're being taken on a journey by a writer who's at the top of his game. I'm in awe of Weavervale's talents, especially his versatility. I first started reading another of his fictions and it's literally worlds apart from this. I was a bit nervous diving into an unfamiliar sub-genre, and a different style compared to what I usually read, but I shouldn't have worried. I was in the hands of a master
Kelly, the MC, is a character who just leaps off the page. Her voice is so strong and personality so fully realized that she almost single-handedly makes all the other characters just that much better when they play off her.
The last time I dabbled in MOBAs was a long long time ago, and I didn't really play them much. But even if I'm not too familiar with their intricacies anymore, the writer was able to describe the games and all the stuff that goes into playing them in a way that was truly engaging even for me as a non-player. I realized this was less about the specific type of game, and more about putting together and running a team, making the most of what you have and bringing out the best in others, all really endearing story hooks.
The earliest chapters are pretty polished with only a few minor typos. The further in we read though and a few more typos and rough draft lines pop up here and there, but they're nothing that would detract from the overall enjoyment of the writing or can't be easily fixed by one good editing push. - Chaos JesterRoyal Road★★★★★ 5.0This one grabbed me from the very beginning, giving me a main character who I could get behind. Combine that with a great premise, and my unruly obsession with management games (that I'm bad at) and we've got a story with a high Potential.
Keep an eye on this one, because it can only get better. - Maverick26Royal Road★★★★★ 5.0Grammar -
The grammar is good and I noticed very few errors in it.
Style -
The first-person narration works well for the series. It allows the audience to get a good look into the thoughts of the main character, Kelly. She has a lot of funny and insightful things to say about her surroundings, and I like how concise the narration is, too. There are some parts where it feels like certain events should have more attention placed on them but this doesn't happen often. For the most part, the conciseness of the narration makes the pacing of the book feel fairly smooth even when many technical terms about gaming are being discussed.
Story -
I was immediately interested when I realized this was a LitRPG that focuses on esports because I've never seen that combination before. That opens up the possibilities for a lot of creative uses of the system that the main character has access to. Along with that, the story may be difficult to get immersed in at first if you're not familiar with MOBAs which this book focuses on. However, learning more about this style of game is also fun paired with Kelly learning more about her system.
Characters -
Kelly is a relatable and cool character. I like that she's already established in her career and competitive gaming is just a hobby for her at first. The other characters have a good dynamic with her and feel fairly grounded.
Overall -
This story is a nice mix of realism, esports, and LitRPG fun. It contains an intriguing perspective of an aspiring game manager dealing with a mysterious system that was really entertaining. - Zamora de LeonRoyal Road★★★★★ 5.0A fast-paced story with tongue-in-cheek humor that e-sports fans should check out! I'm coming into this story as someone who played League and still watches it competitively, so I found it accessible enough to read even though the story is about DOTA. Fair warning, it might be a lot to take in if you're not used to MOBAs though.
Character: I have to talk about Kelly first, because she kind of reminds me of myself (I'm not as sassy, though). I think she's a unique and quirky character, and you really get a good sense of her personality, her likes and dislikes. I think her characterization is a strength of this story. Her friends are also distinct personalities in the story, though I'll have to read more to learn about the team she's putting together (other than their stats).
Style: The first person, stream of consciousness narration is really engaging to read, though it can feel like it goes from one thing to another really quickly. It's a unique style that takes some getting used to, but I found it enjoyable once I got used to it. It also lends well to the comedy aspect of the story.
Grammar: There were some hiccups in the grammar department, and I do think the story could do with a solid polish here.
Story: Where I've read up to, I think things are still getting set up. However, I have to give the author kudos for an interesting premise and blend of genres (MOBA x LitRPG); they are definitely doing something unique here, and I think it's worth reading just for that. - Ana87Royal Road★★★★★ 5.0Overall
I started reading this story without knowing much about LITRPG or the MOBA, however, the writing style hooked me from the very first moment. I didn't feel I needed to know gaming terminology in order to understand the story. If you're someone like me who hasn't ventured much into this genre, this story might be a good place to start.
Story
I found it very interesting and entertaining from the first sentences. The premise is clear, as well as the character's goal. The progression feels natural and the plot threads hint at deeper mysteries and long-term story arcs that are worth reading on.
Character
The protagonist, Kelly, is a relatable character, and her personality shines through in every scene. Her interactions with others are lively and realistic. Even though I don’t play video games, her passion gave me enough motivation for continuing reading.
Style
The use of the first voice narrator makes the writing vibrant and engaging. Kelly's voice is strong and distinctive, blended with humor and determination. This adds a lot of charm and keeps the tone lighthearted even during intense moments.
Grammar
I cannot say anything about the grammar. I may have found some typos but nothing that make it hard to read. - Erebus EspritRoyal Road★★★★ 4.0Right off the bat we've got an interesting premise executed by someone who clearly knows their stuff in the MOBA world. There's a guidebook to play half-obscured by an interesting story of a girl who has the potential to be the best MOBA player in the world.
There's a pretty good job of explaining the strategies and some of the terms, though many terms are used in the first few chapters that would probably be confusing to someone who doesn't know much about MOBAs already. That could be the author writing to an audience who already knows the game, but might also have a barrier to entry for readers who aren't as familiar. Those terms didn't affect my scoring, but I felt it was prudent to mention.
Style: There's a strong character voice here and it comes through well in the form of our protagonist, Kelly, but a lot of the sentence pacing, especially in the first couple chapters, was distracting, comprised of a lot of very short sentences that were structurally repetitive or very short paragraphs. There was improvement in this as the chapters went on, however.
Story: I'm intrigued by the story. The progression is linked to Kelly's ability to both play and manage a MOBA, so immediately there are really interesting aspects at play and so far they've been followed through on quickly. There are some mysterious story threads that give an opportunity for a long-term plot, so on its face it appears there's going to be more to the story than a simple focus on whatever problem is in front of the protagonist.
Grammar: This is the story's biggest weakness, as it currently stands. There are a lot of typos, errors, and inconsistencies. It does need a lot of work on this front, but behind it all is an interesting story.
Character: Kelly, our protagonist, has a drive and a work ethic to rival any progresion fantasy protagonist, and that it's given the direction it is (as a MOBA team manager) is both hilarious and deeply compelling. Her interactions with her peers and students are also - Eva_EverquillRoyal Road★★★★ 4.0The story follows Professor Thomas, a business professor navigating an unexpected and intriguing plunge into the world of competitive gaming. What stands out is how naturally the story blends everyday academic life with the intense strategy and spectacle of esports. The premise is quirky, an academic turned game strategist and the narrative captures this with her sharp observational voice. The plot develops steadily across the chapters, balancing internal thoughts with in-game dynamics. The tension builds authentically, especially with the added layer of an in-game management system that rewards the protagonist’s tactical decisions.
The writing has a casual, slightly sardonic tone that matches the story's humorous and self-aware atmosphere. There's a lived-in feel to the gaming commentary — the way mechanics, team roles, and strategy are described makes it clear the author understands the culture and quirks of the DOTA games (the gameplay feels inspired by games like League of Legends). The humor is subtle, often dry and wry, coming through in the professor’s observations and quiet frustration with the low-pressure but high-effort world of student esports. Some sections could benefit from more varied pacing and tighter transitions between in-game action and narrative reflection.
While the story is readable and the tone consistent, there are occasional grammar hiccups and unclear pronoun usage. These moments aren’t frequent enough to derail the story, but the author is open to feedback and addressing those.
Professor Thomas is a solid protagonist who is out of her element but trying to keep up and make sense of the gaming world using the tools she knows best: analysis, structure, and management. Her voice is consistent, and there’s real potential for growth. Secondary characters like Racquel and Murph are introduced with clear roles in the game, but they haven’t quite developed individual identities outside of gameplay yet. The dialogue could use more personality to - XavienRoyal Road★ 0.5Honestly very intrigued by the concept reminds me of Player Manager which is a very good story. So I had high hopes for this book. However, the typos and bad grammar is simply too immersion breaking. Every other paragraph dragged me out of the story. By forcing me to do a mental double take to try and decipher what was meant by the author.